David v COMELEC Panganiban, 1997 FACTS: David, in his capacity as barangay chairman and as president of the Liga ng mga

a Barangay sa Pilipinas, filed a petition to prohibit the holding of the barangay election scheduled on the second Monday of May 1997. Meanwhile, Liga ng mga Barangay Quezon City Chapter also filed a petition to seek a judicial review by certiorari to declare as unconstitutional: (1) Section 43(c) of R.A. 7160; (2) COMELEC Resolution Nos. 2880 and 2887 fixing the date of the holding of the barangay elections on May 12, 1997 and other activities related thereto; and, (3) The budgetary appropriation of P400 million contained in Republic Act No. 8250 (General Appropriations Act of 1997) intended to defray the costs and expenses in holding the 1997 barangay elections. Petitioners contend that under RA 6679, the term of office of barangay officials is 5 years. Although the LGC reduced the term of office of all local elective officials to three years, such reduction does not apply to barangay officials. As amicus curiae, former Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. urges the Court to deny the petitions. ISSUES & HELD: Which law governs the term of office of barangay officials: RA 7160 or RA 6679? (RA 7160 3 years) Is RA 7160 insofar as it shortened such term to only three years constitutional? (YES) Are petitioners estopped from claiming a term other than that provided under RA 7160? (YES) RATIO: Clear Legislative Intent and Design to Limit Term to Three Years RA 7160 was enacted later than RA 6679. It is basic that in case of an irreconciliable conflict between two laws, the later enactment prevails. (Legis posteriores priores contrarias abrogant.) During the barangay elections held on May 9, 1994 (second Monday), the voters actually and directly elected one punong barangay and seven kagawads (as in the Code). In enacting the general appropriations act of 1997, Congress appropriated the amount of P400 million to cover expenses for the holding of barangay elections this year. Likewise, under Sec. 7 of RA 8189, Congress ordained that a general registration of voters shall be held immediately after the barangay elections in 1997. These ar e clear and express contemporaneous statements of Congress that barangay officials shall be elected this May, in accordance with Sec. 43-c of RA 7160. In Paras vs. Comelec, this Court said that the next regular election involving the barangay office conce rned is barely 7 months away, the same having been scheduled in May, 1997. This judicial decision is part of the legal system of the Philippines (NCC 8). RA 7160 is a codified set of laws that specifically applies to local government units. It specifically and definitively provides in its Sec. 43-c that the term of office of barangay officials shall be for three years. It is a special provision that applies only to the term of barangay officials who were elected on the second Monday of May 1994. With such particularity, the provision cannot be deemed a general law. Three-Year Term Not Repugnant to Constitution The Constitution did not expressly prohibit Congress from fixing any term of office for barangay officials. It merely left the determination of such term to the lawmaking body, without any specific limitation or prohibition, thereby leaving to the lawmakers full discretion to fix such term in accordance with the exigencies of public service. It must be remembered that every law has in its favor the presumption of constitutionality. The petitioners have miserably failed to discharge this burden and to show clearly the unconstitutionality they aver. Constitutional Commission on how long the term of barangay officials is: As may be determined by law; more precisely, as provided for in the Local Autonomy Code (Sec 43-c limits their term to 3 years). Petitioners Estopped From Challenging Their Three-Year Terms Barangay officials are estopped from asking for any term other than that which they ran for and were elected to, under the law governing their very claim to such offices: namely, the LGC. Petitioners belated claim of ignorance as to what law governed their election to office in 1994 is unacceptable because under NCC 3, ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance therewith.